Cesc Fabregas transfer fee non-negotiable, Arsene Wenger fumes

Arsene Wenger has insisted Arsenal are in no mood to concede ground to Barcelona in the Cesc Fabregas transfer saga.

Gunners captain Fabregas is desperate to return to the club where he started his career, but although the Spanish champions have made no secret of their desire to sign him, they are unwilling to match Arsenal’s £40 million asking price.

Cesc Fabregas doesn’t know if he will be a Barcelona player next season (PA)

Speaking at a press conference to promote this weekend’s Emirates Cup, Wenger admitted the Spain midfielder had been unsettled by the situation.

But the Arsenal manager made it clear he would not sell Fabregas for a knockdown price just because the player was unhappy.

‘That would mean that anybody who just wants to leave we will have to let him go – and for any price,’ said the Frenchman.

‘It has to be as well that the three parties agree and that everybody is happy at the end. If there is only two that are happy and one is very unhappy it doesn’t work.

‘We have a responsibility towards our club and I have that responsibility to sell the players at a decent price. Or I take money away from my club.’

The future of Fabregas, who will miss the Emirates Cup because of injury, is not the only thing that Arsenal are uncertain about.

Wenger added that he hoped to make new signings in the near future, but was unable to offer any updates on the club’s pursuit of Valencia winger Juan Mata and Everton defender Phil Jagielka .

‘I like the player, but that does not mean we will buy him,’ he said when quizzed about Mata.

On Jagielka, he added: ‘The other player is under contract at Everton. If we want to buy a player, we need first the agreement of their club.’